Schnabel Co-Sponsors Western Governors’ Energy Superabundance Workshop
Schnabel recently co-sponsored and participated in the Western Governors’ Association’s final workshop of the “Energy Superabundance: Unlocking Prosperity in the West” initiative, hosted by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and attended by Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon.
Held in Salt Lake City, the event brought together policymakers, utilities, and industry experts to discuss how the West can meet rapidly growing energy demand through reliable, resilient, and innovative infrastructure.
Dennis Schwartz – Senior Vice President, Dams and Hydropower, Seattle – attended the workshop, while Caleb Douglas, Principal Project Engineer/Independent Consultant, served as a panelist on the focused Pumped Storage session.
Schnabel also participated in a co‑sponsorship role alongside National Hydropower Association (NHA) representatives Matt Allen and Connor Nelson.
“It was an honor to be one of the few engineering consultants to be part of this Energy Superabundance workshop and the focused pumped storage panel,” Dennis said. “Schnabel continues to lean forward on opportunities to engage our state and national leaders to educate them on the true value of hydropower and pumped storage energy that is so critical to ensuring our nation is moving forward in the development of reliable and safe energy storage.”
The workshop highlighted the West’s unique position to lead in energy innovation. As electricity demand accelerates, large‑scale infrastructure – including geothermal, hydropower, and long‑duration storage – will be essential to building a more reliable and affordable grid. The pumped storage panel explored the challenges and opportunities tied to expanding generation, transmission, storage, and supply‑chain capacity across the region.
Panelists:
- Caleb Douglas, Principal Project Engineer/Independent Consultant, Schnabel Engineering
- Joseph Gardner, Program Manager, Generation Major Projects, Salt River Project
- Connor Nelson, Manager, Regulatory Affairs and Markets, National Hydropower Association
- Michael Squires, Managing Director of Government Affairs, UAMPS
- Moderated by Amanda O’Connor, Western Business Director, Earth and Environment, WSP
Thank you to Dennis and Caleb for supporting national conversations around the future of hydropower and long‑duration energy storage.
Schnabel continues to lean forward on opportunities to engage our state and national leaders to educate them on the true value of hydropower and pumped storage energy that is so critical to ensuring our nation is moving forward in the development of reliable and safe energy storage.